Sign



Oct. 25, 1932. STANDISH 1,884,335

SIGN

Filed Nov. 10. 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

Oct. 25, 1932. M. STANDISH 8 SIGN Filed Nov. 10, 19:50 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

BY 1 91/11, I

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 1932 PATENT ornca B'IANDISE, OI PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND SIGN Application fled November 10, 1930; Serial 110.4%,508.

This invention relates to an illuminated sign, and has for its object to provide opaque characters which when illuminated will have the appearance of raised glass characters I through which light is diffused.

Another object of this invention is the provision of interchangeable and demountable characters which may be easily handled and which are so shaped and provided with refleeting surfaces that difie'rent color or shade effects are produced by light cast thereon to cause them to appear substantially the same as a raised lass or translucent characters with light di used therethrough.

Another object of this invention is the pro vision of interchangeable, demountable, nonbreakable letters which may be more easily handled and less expensive to construct and operate than glass letters.

A further ob'ect of this invention is the provision of a sign having illuminated char.- acters giving an increased visibility by being furnished greatly reduced electrical energy than similar signs now in use.

A still further object of the invention is the utilizing of a source of light having longer burning characteristics, thereby minimizing the change of such source and labor connected therewith.

With these and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosed in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly set forth in the ap ended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the sign with two letters mounted thereon, the same being broken away with portions thereof to show the illuminating tube mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a back view of the sign;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a skeleton viewof the illuminating tube removed from the si Fig. 5 is a plan view 0 one of the letters showing the marginal edges as suitably sha ed for reflection of light;

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Fig. 7 is a detailed view of a fragmental portion of the track or mount for the letters or characters;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental view of a modified construction illustrating the adjustable mount for positioning the tube relative to the letters;

Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the reflection of light from the sign toward the eye of the observer;

Fig. 10 is a section of a fragmental portion of the sign showing two tubes of different colors mounted therein for alternative use.

In the use of illuminated character signs, particularly theatre marquise, where the name of the performance is changed from time to time, glass letters are used which are demountable and interchangeable for forming the desired words for the sign. These letters are usually formed of translucent glass mounted in a rectangular block of opaque material, and areilluminated by a high powered light from behind the same. Most of the light is prevented from being transmitted to the observer by reason of the ojaque block in which the letter is mounted. Further, these glass letters are raised from the block and are easily broken in handling or by heat, and thus are exceedingly expen-.

sive to operate. In order to overcome these difliculties, I have provided a letter having a generally flat face with inclined edges forming an angle with the face, which inclined edges maybe filleted or slightly concave for the better reflection of light, and I have highly finished the surface of these letters by polishing, a duco coating, or the like, so that light cast thereon will be reflected in shades or different tones so as to produce two or more color effects or strengths of color to give the appearance of depth to the character and cause the same to appear at a distance the same as a raised glass char acter, and by using gas filled tubes such as neon or the like for supplying the source of light, I materially reduce the electrical energy used, eliminate heat, and consequently reduce the expense of operation of a sign so constructed, and as the characters are of non-breakable material, they may be more easily handled and mounted than the glass letters in the sign above referred to, with the elimination of loss by breaka e; and the following is a detailed descript1on of the present embodiment of this invention 1llustrating the preferred means by WlllCll these advantageous results may be accomplished.

With reference to the drawings, 10 designates the base of the sign which is provided with top and bottom walls 11 and 12 extending at right an les to the base with flanges 13 and 14 exten ding from the edges of these walls substantially parallel with the base 10 and provided with lips 15 and 16, as clearly illustrated in Figure. End walls 17 are also provided with similar flan es 18 and lips 19 to form a generall rectangu ar box-shaped structure. A trac 20 extends lengthways of the sign and consists of a portion 21 secured to the base and curved at its lower edge providing a lip 22 over which may be hooked a similar but relatively 1nverted member 23 mounted on the back of a letter or character 24 for mounting the character in position in the sign. This character may be mounted in place at any point along the sign, or may be slid in the track 20 to the desired location.

While I have illustrated this particular means of mounting a character in place, it is understood that any desirable structure .for positioning the character in place on the base or background of the sign may be used.

The letters or characters used have a generally flat face 25 with inclined marginal edges 26 which may be formed in any desired shape, such as on the arc of two curves 27 and 28 as illustrated in Figure 6. Each of the characters has a coating of duco or the like, or may be provided in any manner such as polish or the like with a highly reflective surface, the inclined marginal edge forms with the face a sharp line of contrast having the appearance of different shadin s or depths of color when observed with t e reflected light cast thereon.

The light is supplied by gas filled tubes 29 arranged longitudinally of the si n at the top and bottom thereof just insi e the lips 15 and 16 which hide the same from view. These tubes are formed straight, thereby reducing expense of forming the same, and for convenience in handling, may be arranged in upper and lower pairs suit-- ably connected together as illustrated in Figure 4. Thus, the light is supplied along the edges of the sign, see Figures 1 and 2, by gas tubes, which cause the light to be transmitted and reflected as diagrammatically partially indicated by the lines 31 in Figure 9, from which it will be observed that the rays directed against the inclined portions 26 of the characters will reflect the rays differently and in practice will be brighter, due to greater reflectionof light toward the observer than the flat face of the characters from which the light is diflferently reflected.

Thus, the letter will have the ap earance of depth and from a distance will ave generally the same effect as if the letter were translucent with a light behind the same to shine therethrough.

The position that the gas tube 29 bears to the letter or character may be adjusted to accommodate letters or characters of different sizes or proportions. I have illustrated in Figure 8 an adjustment whereby the base 32 of the gas tube may be moved relative to the base 10 of the sign and held in adjusted position by set screw 33 and post 35 that the adjustment may be accom lished. The relative distance of the tube rom the character must be such that the reflection of light from the face 25 and from the inclined surface 26 will bear the proper proportion to cause the letterto have the appearance of standing out in relief, see Figures 3 and 9.

I have found that a sign so constructed if provided with a black background or surace 10, a white lacquer letter, and a red or neon tube arranged in substantially the proportion shown will at a distance of twentyve feet upwardly, have an improved and more vivid appearance than a raised glass letter sign illuminated with nine-times the power of electrical energy used for the sign above described. v i

By this construction, I may use tubes'with different gases therein, such as red or blue, to obtain different color efl'ects much more economically and with reater volume of light for the energy ex en ed than 'where'white light must be di used throu h a colored medium. In some instances, may supply a pluralit of difierent color tubes as illustrated in igure 10, eliminating the supply of power to these different tubes to change the effect of the sign from'one color to another.

While I have described certain constructional forms which embody the principles of my invention, it is obvious that'other desired changes 1n arrangementmay be made within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sign comprising a base having walls extending at right angles thereto with flanges at the edges of the walls in a plane substantially parallel with the base, a light between said flanges and base, characters mounted on said base and each of said characters having;

a flat face with a generally concaved marginal edge, whereby light is reflected differently from said face and edge to give depth to said characters.

2. A sign comprising a base having walls extending at right angles thereto with flanges at the edges of the walls in a plane substan tially parallel with the base, inwardly inclined lips on said flanges, a light between said flanges andbase extending 1n the form of a tube len hways thereof along the top and bottom 0 said sign, characters, means 'for detachabl mounting the same on said base rearwar ly of the lane of said tube and movable to any one 0 a lurality of positions longitudinally of sai base, each of said characters bein highly reflective and having a fiat face with a generally inclined concaved marginal edge, whereby li ht is reflected differently from said face an edge to give depth to said characters.

3. A sign comprising a base, charactersmounted on said base, a light in the form of a tube extending lengthwise of the sign alon the top and bottom thereof in a plane forwar of the plane of the characters, means along the top and bottom of the sign for hiding the light tube from view, each of said characters being highly reflective and having a flat face with a generally concaved marginal edge,

whereby light is reflected differently from said face and edge to give depth. to said characterii h h 4. sign comprising a base a t positioned along the top and bottom of in a lane a substantial distance forward of 1 said ase, characters and means for support- 1 said base ina "and each of sa1 ing said characters in a lane intermediate the base and plane of lig t and spaced a substantial distance from both, each of said char-'- acters having a highly reflective surface and said base being relatively non-reflective with a flat face and concaved marginal ed e.

5. A sign com rising a base, wa ls in a plane substantia parallel with the base, a light between said walls and base in a plane forward of said base, characters mounted on (plane rearward of said light characters having a flat face with a generally concaved marginal edge, whereby light is reflected difi'erently from said face and edge to give depth to said characters. a

6. A sign com rising a base, walls in a plane substantial y parallel with the base, a light between said walls and base extending in the form of a tube len hways thereof-along the top and bottom 0 said sign characters, means for mounting the characters on said base rearwardly of the plane of said tube, each of said characters beln highly reflective and having a flat face wit a generally inclined concaved marginal edge, whereby light is reflected differently from said base and ed e to give depth to said characters.

n testimony whereof I aflix my si ature.

MYLES STA ISH.

the sign, 

